1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for processing data of images containing colors.
2. Related Background Art
For example, in digital copying machines of the prior art, an original is illuminated by a halogen lamp or other light source. Then, light reflected from the original is photoelectrically transferred by a charge coupled device (hereafter, CCD) or any other solid-state imaging device, then converted into a digital signal. After that, a given corrective operation is applied to the digital signal. Finally, the corrected signal is fed to a laser beam printer, liquid crystal printer, thermal printer, ink-jet printer, or other recording apparatus to produce a recording image.
With an increase in the number of colored originals, used digital copying machines of this kind are expected to provide output containing more abundant information. Copying machines, in which a multi-color laser beam printer equipped with multiple color developing units copies an original by changing colors from area to area, have been developed in recent years.
However, the aforesaid copying apparatuses for forming an image by changing colors from area to area are equipped with many developing machines. Therefore, the mechanisms are complex. Besides, since high precision is required for image positioning, each product is very expensive.
Copying apparatuses using a multi-color ink-jet printer pose the same problem.
The specification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,461 has disclosed a copying apparatus in which color information an original read means has read from color images of an original is assessed to detect colors contained in the color images, then graphic patterns such as, an oblique line pattern, a longitudinal line pattern, a lateral line pattern, a waveform line pattern, a small circle pattern, and a dot pattern, which are predetermined in association with colors, are synthesized on a monochrome image. Thus, the copying apparatus has achieved to express the differences of colors among the pixels in the color images of an original using a low-priced printer. However, this kind of copying apparatus cannot visualize color information about the colors of pixels in the color images of an original.
In the foregoing copying apparatuses of the prior art, graphic patterns associated with color information of original images are preprogrammed in an apparatus and only a limited number of graphic patterns are available. Therefore, users cannot specify desired graphic patterns depending on color information.